We are proud to announce that IE Brown 2018 Cesar Hernandez is driving autonomous automobiles into the real world with the integration of Tesla’s driverless electric cars into a Florida municipality’s public transportation system. Cesar Hernandez is the government relations spokesperson for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) that partnered with Tesla to make this industry-first service happen.

Starting last Monday, people who live and work around the University of South Florida will be able to summon a sleek Tesla to take them to and from a bus stop. This service relieves passengers from having to walk 45 minutes in the heat or call an Uber to get to their bus stop.

Hillsborough County is the first place in the country to use Tesla vehicles as a transit solution. Transit officials hope the fleet will soon be driverless.

According to The Tampa Bay Times,

“It’s a win for Tampa and, honestly, for Florida for us to be trying these very novel concepts in disruption in transportation,” Hernandez said. “There’s always that level of risk with innovation, but it’s also an opportunity to show that Tampa is ready to adapt.”

Starting in the University Area, one of the county’s most popular transit areas, made sense, Hernandez said. The number of people who use or are open to transit is growing, as is the number of businesses. And the area is experiencing major redevelopment, which makes it a good place for testing new projects.

To see the video of Hernandez in the state of the art Teslas and to read the rest of the article, go here.

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